So, I was bored the other day and loaded up StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty. This game is a work of art. I feel it deserves 2010's GOTY. It was definitely awesome to come out on my birthday (or the day after). So which race did I pick to main? Terran. Back in the day of StarCraft: Brood War, which I still play, I played out Terran pretty hardcore. Marine/Medic balls and Battlecruisers are a force to be reckoned. It is pretty hard to kill a group of Marines with healers in the middle of the mass. Of course, I was passing up the Dark Archon, but I can deal. A Dark Archon takes too long to get up and running and hardly feasible in a real match. However, it was definitely fun to toast my brother with a mass of Mutalisks as Protoss.
How does SC2 compare? I cannot bring myself to say it is better, but I also cannot say it is worse. Many people complained upon release that they did not change enough about StarCraft in the sequel to merit the achy wait. Twelve years is a long time. People were also concerned that only a third of SC2 was released in 2010. Honestly? The changes are barely noticeable beyond the major graphical overhaul to a person who has not played SC maybe. The pacing is completely different. SC favors slower, longer games. SC2 favors quick, cheese matches. It is only apparent from the difficulty in countering cheeses (cheap, throw-in strategies). However, that is the best way to separate the men from the noobs. If you can overcome the horrid cannon rushes, you are already a step above your Protoss opponent. The flaw in this matter is that if you are placed in a lower tier for competitive play, then you will get cheesed a lot. It is not as common in the high tiers. But hey! Cest la vie. As for it being a third of a game: this third is no shorter than original SC or its expansion. I am safely happy to say that once the last installment is released, it will be an epic game. It is a strong stand alone title. There are at least 30 missions, some training missions, and endless multiplayer fun.
What is it missing? LAN. I am truly sorry for putting up a typical complaint, but where is the LAN? To be fair, I did share two copies of SC with 20 friends. I do not blame Blizzard (especially after the Acitivision takeover) for being a careful. The strange element is that this is hardly a cash cow for them. All the eggs are in World of Warcraft's basket. Why punish us for that? I think SC2 retains SC's longevity. Once I get bored and still need some of my SC fix, I will use the wonderfully organized map-maker.
Too bad Battlecruisers are lame now. Thors for life?
GAMING MUSIC
Remember Top Gear for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System? I bet not. Hopefully this track will soothe your soul like it did mine. It's a par-rate racing game from the 16-bit era. I would be lying if I did not say I only played it for the soundtrack. I bet everyone can remember playing bad games with good music. You know? Before the internet.
